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Compass Image for Icarus (MACS J1149_2223 Lensed Star 1)

Compass Image for Icarus (MACS J1149_2223 Lensed Star 1)
This graphic shows the location, orientation, and filters used to image MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1, the farthest individual star ever seen. Called Icarus, this star is only visible because it is being magnified by the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster, located about 5 billion light-years from Earth. This cluster, called MACS J1149+2223 (shown at left) sits between the Earth and the galaxy that contains the distant star. The team had been using Hubble to monitor a supernova in the far-off spiral galaxy when, in 2016, they spotted a point of light near the supernova that began to brighten. Even though the object subsequently became three times brighter in one month, the colors of the light coming from the object did not change. Analysis of these colors showed it was a blue supergiant star in the background galaxy whose magnification grew for several weeks due to an intervening object, probably a star, in the galaxy cluster. The panels at the right show the view in 2011, without Icarus visible, compared with the star’s brightening in 2016.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    11h 49m 35.661s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    22° 23' 48.07"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Leo
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    9.4 billion light-years or redshift = 1.5 (LS1); 5 billion light-years (cluster)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The HST observations include those from programs 12065 (M. Postman), 13459 (T. Treu), 13504 (J. Lotz), 13790 and 14208 (S. Rodney), and 14041, 14199, 14528, 14872, and 14922 (P. Kelly).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/IR, ACS/WFC
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    ACS/WFC: F606W and F814W WFC3/IR: F105W, F125W, F140W, and F160W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 (LS1)
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Gravitationally Lensed Star in Galaxy Cluster
  • Release Date
    April 2, 2018
  • Science Release
    Hubble Uncovers the Farthest Star Ever Seen
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, and P. Kelly (University of Minnesota)

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Compass Image for Icarus (MACS J1149_2223 Lensed Star 1)
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are composites of separate exposures acquired by the ACS and WFC3 instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample broad wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F606W+F814W Green: F105W+F125W Red: F140W+F160W

Related Images & Videos

Icarus (MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1)

Icarus (MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1)

The Farthest Star Ever Seen Icarus, whose official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1, is the farthest individual star ever seen. It is only visible because it is being magnified by the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster, located about 5 billion light-years from Earth....

Comparison of a Model of a Blue Supergiant’s Spectrum with Observational Data

Comparison of a Model of a Blue Supergiant’s Spectrum with Observational Data

Scientists found that the Hubble data from MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1 (Icarus) matches the model for a blue supergiant. The agreement shows a remarkably good fit, and indicates that Icarus is approximately twice as hot as the Sun. The solid blue line shows the model spectrum...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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